Today as I launch my blog and invite you to take a glimpse into my small world with its passions and joys, everyday trials and tribulations, I would like to dedicate my first post to the ‘grandest’ and sweetest person in my life… my grandfather… my TATHA 🙂
Any noun which has the term ‘grand’ incorporated in it, is itself very suggestive and attracts one’s attention. All the more when one refers to one’s grandfather. Although this blog and my musings will be all about what I am experimenting in my kitchen or my latest meanderings and wandering-abouts, my passion about catching light thru my lens, in this post I want to share these memories of my childhood… and how and why I chose this name for my blog.
As I sit down to pen a few lines, on my grandfather, for posterity, various incidents dart across my mind. My very first remembrance of Tatha (grandfather in tamil) screens him on my mind sitting in an armchair going through the morning paper, when I, a tiny tot crawls up to him on all fours and slowly catches hold of his Veshti (Dhoti). Tatha would immediately put aside the newspaper in which he was so engrossed, pick me up ever so slowly so as not to hurt me and implant gentle, sweet, soft and lovely kisses on my cheeks. No further encouragement would be required for me to pull at his beard, cuddle onto him and play various childish pranks with him. And he for all practical purposes would once more become a child and relive his childhood days.
As I grew up, his love for me remained at the peak and never at any stage diminished. Those were the days when my parents used to go to office and I was left at home in the loving care of my doting Tatha. During this dream period it seemed as if both of us were held together by an invisible bond, each sharing and joining in the others joys, pranks, studies, sleep, food, books and even dreams. This invisible bond between us many-a-time stopped me short of doing any grievous wrong and also guided me on the right direction to regular studies, good manners, cleanliness and many other things, small and big, but in their own way important disciplines of life.
The arrival of the final exam results every year bringing to our knowledge the news of my topping in the class would bring tears of joy to Tatha’s eyes. And believe it or not those drops used to glitter like pearls and diamonds. Oh! How I wish I could have stored each of those pearls in my safe custody!
As the saying goes, “Man proposes, God disposes”. Every good thing has to come to an end. The cruel hands of fate, on a cloudy sultry day snatched away the mortal physique of my most beloved Tatha. But rest assured, the invisible bond between us could not be touched. The person that I am today is very much because of the values he has inculcated in me. He is a part of me and my dreams, even today!
When I go onto my balcony and stare at the sky above, I can visualise my grandfather in some far off world smiling at and approving of my each and every good action and deed.
And oh! What is this droplet that has fallen onto my outstretched palm? I don’t have to think twice to conclude that it a tear of joy… and here comes another one and another… THIS IS MY DOLLOP OF SUNSHINE!
Dollop Of Sunshine 